Food By Franz

It was surely first discovered growing wild…

Asparagus has a long history going back as far as the first century. A member of the lily family, asparagus, (Asparagus officinalis), comes from the Greek word asparagos, which first appears in English print around 1000 A.D. Asparagus has also been depicted in ancient Egyptian writings and was also grown in Syria and Spain in Ancient times. Egyptians over 2,000 years ago cultivated asparagus for medicinal reasons and legend has it that it was so revered they offered it up to gods in their rituals. It cannot be definitively tracked to any one specific area of origin, although it is known to be native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas.

Prized for its flavor, texture and medicinal qualities by the Greeks and Romans. Roman emperors loved this vegetable passionately and allotted special boats to fetch it. These boats were labeled as The Asparagus Fleet. The Greeks appreciated asparagus, but never gave importance to its cultivation. However, the Romans mastered the art of Asparagus cultivation by 200 B.C. as documented by Cato. They would eat the asparagus in season as well as preserve it for later consumption by freezing, which was obtained by preserving the winter snow in straw.

By the 16th Century, Asparagus became popular in France and England and was later introduced to North America. Native Americans discovered the medicinal power of asparagus. They started drying the asparagus to use it as a panacea for bladder, kidney and heart problems.

There are more than 300 species found worldwide.

A wild asparagus has thin shoots thinner than a pencil and is much different than the asparagus that you find In your grocery counter.
Through selective breeding and growing techniques they developed a thicker stem with more edible flesh. It was cultivated in gardens in ancient Rome some as far back as the first century AD. Some of the varieties produced such big shoots that they were 3 to the pound!

Purple asparagus originated from a region around Albenga, Italy. This “cultivar” is known as Violetto d/Albenga. Although the spears are of deep purple color, the ferns are actually green. The farmers in Albenga region propagate the plants using seeds from open pollination. Seeds are usually collected from vigorous female plants producing large spears. Purple hybrids produce larger spears but fewer in number per plant than the green hybrids.

There are even festivals that celebrate this vegetable! They are always in the spring, so plan for next year – visit Stockon, California and Empire, Michigan

Companion planting

Asparagus is a useful companion plant for tomatoes. The tomato plant repels the asparagus beetle, as do several other common companion plants of tomatoes, meanwhile asparagus may repel some harmful root nematodes that affect tomato plants.[15]

Mega Veggie™ Mega Veggie Benefits:   Bolsters your immune system Boosts digestion and helps detoxify Enhances your energy Delivers anti-aging protection, health and well being If you’re like most people, you’re not getting anywhere near your five to seven servings of produce a day. That’s where Mega Veggie can help. With one easy-to-swallow tablet you get 18 different vegetables! One tablet contains 50 mg. each of: Alfalfa Asparagus Beets Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Carrots Celery Garlic Kale Mustard Greens Onion Parsley Red Pepper Spinach Tomato Yellow Squash

Ingredients
1 zucchini
1 jalapeno pepper
1 small can of corn (or fresh if available)
onion
EVOO
cumin
garlic powder
chili powder

To Prepare:
Chop the zucchini into large dice
Chop the jalapeno into small dice
Chop 1/2 an onion into large dice
Open the can of corn, drain (preferably no salt)

In a large skillet over med hi heat drizzle a tbsp of EVOO, add the jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients – continue to cook over medium hi heat (you want the veggies to get a little color) add a pinch of cumin, garlic and chili powder – cook for approximately 5-7 minutes – mixing thoroughly and serve

*This is a wonderfully versatile recipe – you can use any summer squash, or even lima beans to make this “mexican flaired succotash”
If your tired of rice and refried beans as sides for your southwestern entrees – give this a try!

Stuffed Vegetables -Greek Style

Ingredients
• 2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
• 3 large red, yellow, or green bell peppers
• 3 large, ripe tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano) – (add 1 Tbsp of chopped mint for an interesting taste twist)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Juice of a large lemon (about 1/4 cup)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pierce the eggplants with a fork and place them in a shallow baking pan. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stalk and seeds, brush the inside with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place in the baking pan with the eggplants. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft. Let the eggplants cool to room temperature, then peel off the skin. Cut the eggplants in half, remove the seeds, and dice into 1-inch chunks.

Cut a lid from the tops of the tomatoes and save the lids. Scoop out the pulp from the tomatoes and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add the eggplant chunks and remaining ingredients, except the feta, to the bowl and toss gently.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Stuff the tomatoes and peppers with the eggplant mixture and replace the tops. Place the stuffed vegetables in the baking pan. Top each with crumbled feta cheese. Add 1 cup of water to the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. This dish can be enjoyed hot or room temperature.
Serves 4